Creamy Gorgonzola Dolce Buttermilk Dressing with Balsamic Tomatoes

A few weeks ago I spent one of my last weeks on Fire Island. The weather was amazing and the position of the sun made the evening air so calm and peaceful. The weeks are so very different than the weekends on the island. The atmosphere changes from non-stop energy to peacefulness and the people that stay during the week are just as calm.  

Over the last few years I have had the pleasure of befriending a wonderful group of "locals" on the island.  This group of people plays pool every evening at one of the local bars, Sip and Twirl and they often dine together.  Chuck and Judy, two of the pool sharks, have had their house on the island since the 50s (well... it has ben in Chuck's family since then) and Kirby and Ralph have owned their place since the 60s.  Jim and Jim, two of my favorites, run the local bed and breakfast The Pines Bluff Overlook. Scoring an invitation to dinner at the Jim's is always so amazing. Not only do they make great food, but they also pack their dinner table with some amazing people. 

So during my final week in Fire Island Jim invited me and my friend Patrick for dinner one night and prepared the best salad that I have had in a long time. It was so flavorful and very creative in its preparation.  

Jim uses Roquefort in his dressing, but I opted for the sweeter Gorgonzola Dolce and adapted the recipe even further to give it some additional color.

Here is what you will need:

- 1 cup of buttermilk

- 1 cup of sour cream

- 1 cup of Gorgonzola Dolce (about a 1/2 lb.)

- 1/2 cup of green onion tops chopped

- 3 tomatoes chopped 

- 1 cup of balsamic vinegar

- 2 heads of Romaine

Place the buttermilk, sour cream and Gorgonzola Dolce into a food processor or blender and blend well until smooth and creamy.  Add the chopped green onions, mix, cover and place into the refrigerator.

Chop the tomatoes and place into a bowl with the balsamic vinegar. Cover and place into the refrigerator.

Chop the salad and when you are ready to eat toss the salad with the dressing and top with the tomatoes.

Comments

[Janet Fernando]

I am sooooo gonna try this one, Michael.... Glad to know you're back in the land of the living!

xoxo
JF